Around 14 years ago we met a company that had just completed their first website – a very basic “brochureware” site that at least gave them a presence on the web. We were not only able to bring strong ideas to the table about developing the site into a viable sales tool that also supported offline initiatives but also forged a relationship that continues to the present day.
It’s an interesting evolution because it took some convincing to get the client to visualize the business development possibilities and to overcome complacency. In the beginning many clients consider whether a website is worth the investment so they often opt for something that requires a minimal investment. They don’t always get on board right away with the ideas presented. It becomes our job to demonstrate to the client how gains are possible by examining closely where leads are coming from.
Sometime between 2003-2006 this particular client had new questions such as “how much money do I have to allocate to my site to increase business and when will I make it back?”
So we pulled some stats from the existing site, laid out a strong plan with clear objectives and got busy with the next phase of enhancements. With the site changes, and some much needed search engine optimization, the website increased lead generation from a single lead per week to an average of one per day!
Now, depending upon your business, that may not sound like much but to this particular client a lead becomes a sale on average 25% – 35% of the time (conservatively). A single lead generally results in multiple sales to the tune of $50,000 to $100,000 over a 24-36 month period. So clearly the investment to upgrade the website was worth it! No longer is it simply ‘brochureware’ but now it is a viable, revenue-generating sales tool that is even used by the client’s sales force as a sales tool.
By closely examining quantifiable gains we are able to determine what direction the client needs to take and make recommendations for development both online and offline that continue to yield positive results. The goal is always to understand the needs and behaviors of buyers and to ensure that collateral materials and multi-channel initiatives work collectively to achieve goals.
The goal of this post is not to impress you. It is to impress upon you that having the right marketing partner who not only takes the time to understand your customers and their buying behavior, but who is capable of developing effective strategies and initiatives over time to help you reach your goals, is an invaluable asset to your business. Although our offices are 700 miles apart, there is no distance between the evolving needs of our client and our commitment to growing his business. Whatever compromises or modifications to our recommendations that have been made over the past 14 years, by staying focused on our client’s goals we continue to be able to produce gains throughout each stage of development.
